“The real source of “stress"
is actually internal;
it is not external,
as people would like to believe." 

— David R. Hawkins

I've heard many people say that they need a vacation to get away from all the stress at work. Or at home. Or anywhere else outside of themselves. But because stress is simply caused by a point of view, or more accurately how we think about something or someone, how does one run away from oneself? It seems more likely, based on what causes stress, that we would take it with us everywhere we go.

Taking a vacation does seem to relieve stress for many, but it isn't the distance, it is the releasing of the resistant thoughts by focusing on something pleasurable and enjoying the thoughts about that. Yet, when we return to our home base, it doesn't take very long until our resistant thoughts return to the stress we vacationed to escape from. It's not the place, people, or things. It is purely our own internal thinking and resultant feelings. Stress is simply a feeling, which is demonstrated physically from our thoughts. The source can certainly feel as if it is coming from the outside environment because of this, but it is all internal.

Moving away is strictly a temporary relief as in a vacation. And choosing a better feeling thought is an excellent answer to the situation in general, but the single best solution possible is to see the situation, people, things in a different way than we have been seeing them. This is the cure rather than just treating the symptoms. When we change our mind by changing our thoughts about that person, that job, those circumstances, or whatever it may be that is causing the negative feeling that we label as stress, and other names, they change. It seems ridiculous on the surface, but it is so true in practice. As Wayne W. Dyer said so many times, “when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change." 

Here's the good news. We are in control. We get to choose. We can choose stress. We can choose depression. We get to choose powerlessness, anger, frustration, grief, despair, all of it. We choose it all. At the same glorious time, we can choose happiness, contentment, hopefulness, optimism, enthusiasm, eagerness, passion, freedom, joy, appreciation, and love. No one has the authority to choose for us. No one. Because no one can think our thoughts for us.